Puerto Rican Style Chickpea Soup

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You know the type of recipes that make you feel like you’re back home as a little kid, cuddled up on the couch with a warm, fleece blanket? That is exactly how this Puerto Rican style chickpea soup made me feel.

Although this recipe does not exactly mimic the recipes my family use to cook for me, it does have the same kind of bold, warming flavors I am used to having in a Puerto Rican dish. Growing up, we had stews at least once a week, including carne guisada, pollo guisado, and sancocho. They were meat heavy but they also distinct Puerto Rican flavors like sofrito and sazon.

By the way, I totally didn’t grow up eating spinach in my stews, but because I am trying to add a little more green to my dishes, I did throw some in to this stew. Besides, it adds some color and an extra umph of nutrients. Go for it. It’s good for you.

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Puerto Rican Style Chickpea Soup Recipes

Cooking Notes:

1. Use homemade sofrito – it’s much tastier than the stuff at the store. Besides, it’s super easy to make.
2. Use pre-cooked dry beans or canned beans for this recipe.
3. If you’re unable to find sazon, you can make it yourself, or switch it out for a salt-based seasoning.

Ingredients:

• ½ can tomato sauce 
• 3 tablespoons sofrito 
• 1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans 
• 1 packet sazon 
• ½ cup water 
• Handful of spinach 
• Bay Leaves 
• 1 potato 
• Oil

Directions:

1. Chop potato into large, bite-sized pieces. 
2. Drain liquid from the can of chickpeas. No need to rinse.
3.  In a pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil. 
4. Next, add the sofrito, tomato sauce, and sazon. Stir and cook for 1 minute. 
5. Next, add the chickpeas/gabanazo beans, water and bay leaves. Stir well.
6. Cover pot and lower heat to low and allow the stew to simmer. Simmer until the potatoes are fork tender and cooked through. 
7. Once potatoes are cooked thorough, add a handful of washed spinach. Cover the pot again and cook for about 2-3 minutes until spinach leaves have completely wilted. Stir everything together.
8. Serve with a side of your choice of rice. 

More Soup + Stew Recipes:

Puerto Rican Tofu Guisado

Vegan “Beef” Stew

Easy Lentil Soup With Kale & Rice

Did you try out this recipe? 

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